Zambian defender Frankie Musonda has expressed his excitement over the nation’s qualification for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), describing it as a remarkable achievement.
However, the 26-year-old admits the magnitude of this milestone may not fully sink in until he retires from professional football.
Musonda, who plays for Ayr United in Scotland, featured in three of Zambia’s six qualifiers as they edged out Ivory Coast by one point to top Group G. Under the guidance of head coach Avram Grant, the team has now qualified for back-to-back AFCON tournaments. Grant, who took charge in December 2022, will be looking to improve on their 2023 campaign, which ended in the group stages.
Reflecting on the qualification, Musonda shared his pride in representing Zambia despite the physical toll of international travel.
“It’s been a brilliant time recently. That was another amazing moment, qualifying for AFCON with Zambia again,” Musonda told the Ayr Advertiser. “I just feel really privileged to be a part of the Zambia team. It’ll not really sink in just what we’ve achieved until I probably stop playing.”
The demanding journey from Scotland to Zambia, which involves three flights and over a day of travel, has not dampened Musonda’s enthusiasm.
“It is quite taxing on the body just getting there – but I’m used to it now. It’s three flights that equate to over a day’s travel. I fly to Dubai, which is about seven and a half hours, then from there it’s a flight to Johannesburg in South Africa, which is another eight or so on top of that. From there, it’s another hour and a half to Zambia. It’s a lot, but I’ve got no complaints,” he said.
Musonda emphasized how much the experience means to him, calling it the highlight of his career so far.
“It’s more than worth it to pull on the shirt. I’d say it’s been the best time of my career so far. I always feel very fortunate to get called up, so I’ll never take any amount of minutes I get for granted,” he added.
With Zambia’s qualification secured, Musonda and his teammates are eager to leave a lasting impression at the 2025 AFCON as they aim to bring glory to the nation.
